Flash floods sweeping through parts of Kenya have killed at least 20 people and left thousands of others homeless.

The floods are the result of torrential rains that have eased Kenya's long drought but are making life miserable for people who live near rivers and in flood-prone areas.

The Kenyan Red Cross says some 30,000 people are in need of relief aid after water washed away homes, killed livestock, and destroyed crops.

The hardest-hit areas appear to be in western Rift Valley province. Kenyan newspapers report deaths and especially heavy flooding in the Turkana East area and in the southwestern villages of Rongai, Marigat, and Mogotio.

Relief agencies and Kenyan officials say the number of casualties may rise as the rains are expected to continue for days or weeks to come.